GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Samford University softball team took the doubleheader sweep (8-0, 5-3) from the home team UNCG on Saturday, March 28, at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

The Bulldogs (22-13, 4-1 SoCon) secured its second SoCon series victory of the season with the doubleheader sweep and its first SoCon road series victory of the season with the pair of wins over UNCG (13-14, 0-5 SoCon).

Samford's offense opened the series strong as the team posted eight runs in the first three innings of game one. Junior Megan Dowdy led the charge going a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with four RBIs and a pair of home runs to her credit. The Fairhope, Alabama native had only one career home run coming into the contest.

"Dowdy has been incredible the last few weeks. It's special and rare for an athlete to have that fire in their stomach to win every at bat and she has it." Samford head coach Mandy Burford said. "It's just fun to coach and fun to just watch. She has gotten smarter at the plate and really has become a triple threat, which is something she works really hard at."

Redshirt junior Mollie Hanson (13-6) stepped up to give the Bulldogs everything she had as she tallied her second shutout of the season in a complete-game effort from the circle. The Dothan, Alabama native scattered six Spartan hits and forced numerous ground balls that allowed the Samford defense to work behind her.

"Mollie has been outstanding; very similar to Dowdy, but in a different role obviously, as she wants the ball and she wants to win. She guts out every performance and every pitch she throws for us." Burford explained. "She has taken on more of a "leadership" role which I am very proud of and she makes the defense want to make the plays behind her when she gives us all she has like she did today."

UNCG threatened several times in the first game and had its best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second when Nicole Thomas and Tory Wright both singled and doubled to lead off the inning to put runners on second and third with no outs. The Bulldogs defense stonewalled the threat with great defense from Hanson who caught a line drive and picked up a strikeout while Miranda fielded a hard grounder while playing in on Allison Geiner.

Sophomore Abby Sweeney tallied her ninth home run of the year in the first game on a solo shot in the first inning. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native finished the game 2 for 3 from the plate with a walk, a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

Hanson had her number called again in game two of the twin-bill and she answered with her ninth complete-game outing of the season.

Samford took the early lead 3-0 over the Spartans in the top of the second inning when senior Abby Adams came through with a three-run home run with no outs on the board.

UNCG broke its scoring drought and scored its first run of the day in the bottom of the third when second baseman Dominique Madruga hit a two-out solo home run to close down Samford's lead to 3-1.

The Spartans struck for two more runs in the fourth as UNCG loaded the bases with no out for Gabrielle Cubbage. Cubbage took the first pitch from Hanson for a strike then ripped a line drive back up the middle to plate a pair of Spartan runs and bring tie the score with no outs.

Hanson was hit with a hard line drive to the legs in the second but rebounded to field her position in the third as she recorded the first out of the inning on a grounder from Alexis Overdiep. With runners on second and third and one out on the board it was the Samford defense who came through to get out of the inning; Shelby Maze caught a fly ball in shallow center while Adams closed out the inning on a grounder from Madruga.

Samford responded in the top of the fifth to engineer a series of hits and regain the lead. With two outs against the Bulldogs, Callie Brister fell behind 0-2 in the count before she drove the ball through the right side for an RBI single that scored Maze from third.

Junior Caitlin Bice came through in the seventh with a pair of critical plays that secured the victory for the Bulldogs. The Chelsea, Alabama native drove in a speedy Wilder from second base with an RBI base hit up the middle of the Spartan defense. Bice then came up with a near diving catch out in deep right field to end the game and the scoring threat from UNCG.

Caroline Wilder finished the day going 4 for 6 at the plate with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

The Bulldogs look to complete the series sweep on Sunday, March 29, at noon (CDT) against the Spartans.